Stephen Leeb

Stephen Leeb, Ph.D. is the Chief Investment Strategist of The Complete Investor and Real World Investing.

Dr. Leeb’s books have been notable for predicting the secular bull market that started in the 1980s (Getting in on the Ground Floor, Putnam, 1986); the tech stock crash and rise of real assets, including oil and gold (Defying the Market: Profiting in the Turbulent Post-Technology Market Boom, McGraw-Hill, 1999); and the surge in oil prices (The Oil Factor: Protect Yourself and Profit from the Coming Energy Crisis, Warner Books, 2004). His national bestseller, The Coming Economic Collapse: How You Can Thrive When Oil Costs $200 a Barrel (Warner Books, 2006), co-authored with Glen Strathy, outlined the biggest challenges facing the US economy, and accurately predicted the 2008 sub prime mortgage crisis as well as the vicious subsequent economic cycle requiring massive infusions of government stimulus, near zero interest rates and much higher federal debt levels. Game Over: How You Can Prosper in a Shattered Economy (Business Plus, 2009) predicted a permanent peak in global commodity production. Dr. Leeb’s eighth and latest book, Red Alert (Hachette, 2011), outlined China’s growing prosperity and the ways in which its demands on increasingly scarce resources threaten the American way of life.

Among his many speaking engagements, he has been the keynote speaker at both a JPMorgan Chase energy conference and a Royal Bank of Canada commodities conference.

Dr. Leeb received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He then earned his master’s degree in Mathematics and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Illinois in just three years, an academic record that stands to date. He is frequently quoted in the financial media, including Investors Business Daily, USA Today, Business Week, The New York Times, NPR and The Wall Street Journal. In addition, Dr. Leeb is a regular guest on Fox News, Bloomberg, CNN and Neil Cavuto.

Analyst Articles

Play it safe – but keep playing By Stephen Leeb The year 2016 opened on a volatile note, pointing up the world’s growing risks. But that doesn’t mean we’re on the verge of calamity. Rather it tells us to look for the safest ways to grab the big opportunities that… Read More

Top-flight drugs and rock-bottom valuations By Stephen Leeb In our search for outsized value—stocks with exceptional growth potential plus compelling downside protection—two names stand out: Gilead Sciences (GILD), reviewed here, and Microsoft (MSFT) (see p.4). Both join Growth Portfolio this issue (Microsoft already is an Income/Value pick).  Gilead’s single-digit multiple… Read More

It’s transitioning into mobile and the cloud By Stephen Leeb Two stocks join Growth Portfolio this month: Gilead Sciences (GILD) (see p.3) and Microsoft (MSFT) (also in Income/Value). Microsoft is proof positive that being big needn’t stand in the way of making a major transition (an instructive lesson to any… Read More

A diverse group of stocks will gain By Stephen Leeb We can’t say precisely when oil prices will rise. But we can say with great confidence that, barring worldwide depression, rise they will. And that will boost a varied mix of stocks hurt by oil’s plunge. This is a change… Read More

Loads of leverage to an upswing in commodities By Stephen Leeb This issue we are spotlighting—but not yet recommending—an aggressive diversified commodity play: Freeport-McMoRan (FCX). Its major product is copper, which accounts for around 60 percent of revenues. The company also produces oil and metals other than copper, including gold. Read More

Barrick’s Donlin mine should be a game changer By Stephen Leeb Barrick Gold (ABX) joined Growth Portfolio last month via a market update. By revenue it’s America’s largest gold mine, though trailing some mines in terms of market capitalization. Barrick used to be the star of the gold universe. A… Read More

A critical resource that’s often overlooked By Stephen Leeb  This fall the world, or certainly the scientific community, was thrilled when NASA reported it had found clear evidence of water on Mars. We agree the space program is important and would never gainsay the deep-rooted human impulse to explore every… Read More

The country will spend heavily to save every drop By Stephen Leeb If water is a big deal for America (see preceding article), it looms equally large, or larger, elsewhere. In fact, on a relative basis the U.S. isn’t all that bad off. On a per capita basis it has… Read More

Wringing the most from its superior water technology By Stephen Leeb Commodities of all kinds, as we’ve noted before, are highly interdependent, forming a chain that’s only as strong as the weakest link. Still, for many commodities, even super important ones like copper, if pushed to the wall you likely… Read More

What shifting exchange rules and roles means for investors By Stephen Leeb Ph.D. New game, new rules, new kid in town. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff recently issued an analysis that indicates their belief that the Chinese yuan satisfies all criteria for inclusion in the Special… Read More